Oscar laughs, a pitiful sound that causes a bit of blood to drip out of his mouth and to the floor.Atlas must have knocked a tooth loose.
“I know who you are, Atlas Valente.” Oscar’s eyes find mine and he tries to jerk his head towards me. “That’s Kortez Valente.” His eyes continue their pursual until they land on Wylder. “And the non-gambler is Wylder James.”
Atlas’s eyes find mine, wide and confused, before he covers the emotion and lets them go back to the man we have hanging between us. “Glad we have introductions out of the way, they’re always so annoying. Almost worse than small talk.”
Wylder laughs, the sound shallower than it usually is when it falls from his lips. “Nothing is worse than small talk. I would croak if Oscar here tried to talk to us about the weather.”
I see the approval written on Atlas’s face, and I know I made the right choice letting Wylder come down here. He may not be my favorite person but he’s one of Evie’s. It’s important he finds his place here.
Oscar spits down on the ground, his saliva tinted pink. “No need. I got the call you were here before I pulled up.” He lifts his head to stare directly at Atlas. “I have a message for you. From Wade.”
Wylder glances over at me, his eyes widening, and I realize that at some point in the last two minutes, I pulled out my blade.
It’s not my fault my soul sings for blood. My father made sure it was the only tune it could ever know.
Wylder must sense my bloodlust and Atlas’s rising anger because he asks, “What’s the message?”
Oscar grins, the move more sinister and threatening than I expected someone hanging from the ceiling to be able to deliver, but it’s his words thatstrike fear into my heart.
“He said he knows what’s important to you,” His eyes flick to Atlas, “and he sends his congratulations to you on your newfound fatherhood.”
My heart drops and from the faces reflected back to me from Wylder and Atlas, mine isn’t the only one.
I don’t know who says it, but it doesn’t matter. Blood soaks my hand as I shove the blade into Oscar’s neck, pulling it out and watching as the floor turns into a puddle of crimson. “Let’s go get our woman.”
Chapter 31
Atlas
Kor shakes his head as he comes down the stairs, signaling the top floor of Eve’s home is as empty as the bottom. We’ve already checked her backyard, and Wyld is checking his house, but there’s no sign of Eve, my son, or Roman.
Did Wade get to them first?
“Where the fuck are they, Kor?” I can hear the worry seeping through my voice and I have to remind myself it’s okay to sound worried here. I’m no longer trapped in my father’s home scared that he’ll stick a knife to my throat for any sign of weakness.
Kortez seems to realize the same thing, looking down at his shaking hands as they struggle to keep hold of the twin blades clenched in his fists. Neither one of us are used to showing our emotions but only a few weeks here and Evangeline has cracked us open, allowing us to feel freely and without fear of repercussion.
The front door slams shut, Wylder walking through with his phone to his ear and water dripping from hishair. He never shaved during our weeklong search for Wade in the mountainside and his hand currently runs along the hairs growing on his chin.
“Yeah, Viv, I forgot. Tell Roman to answer his damn phone, would you?”
Kor shoots me a look at the mention of Eve’s new best friend – the one Kortez and Roman believe knows more about Wade than she should. The same as Eve. The same as Wylder.
“How long do we have?” Wylder’s voice makes me straighten. That’s never a good question to hear, but I walk a step closer as if that will allow me to hear the answer coming from the other end of the phone.
Wylder nods and hangs up, sliding his phone in the pocket of his jacket before he looks up to meet me eyes. “They’re at the races.”
“Races? What fucking races?” Kor sounds confused, angry even, but I smile. Of course she couldn’t give up the thrill of the race. I should have known she took my advice to heart and found every single race she could.
I’ve brought Kortez to quite a few street races over the years but none of them can beat the night I brought Eve all those years ago. Seeing her sitting behind the wheel of my car with that wild look in her eyes and her lips pursed as she focused on the road…that was a stronger aphrodisiac than it should have been.
“A buddy of ours has one every few weeks and Eve likes to participate. She wins most of them.” He shrugs and waves us on, “Let’s go, it’s starting soon and I promise this isn’t something you want to miss.”
It sure as hell isn’t.
“Where is she?” Kortez straightens, craning his neck above the crowd to try and spot Eve’s blonde hair. Downright impossible with all these fucking people, though. I swear the races I’ve been to have never been this crowded.
Someone bumps into me, spilling some of their beer on my shirt. My hand itches toward my gun, ready and waiting to pull it out and threaten everyone here to get out of my fucking way so I can find my woman.
